British Airways issued a statement on their website saying: “We take the safety of our customers and crew extremely seriously, and like most airlines at London Gatwick airport, we have cancelled a number of flights today.

“Our airport teams are working to minimise the disruption for our customers at what we know is a very important time of year.

“We are offering customers travelling today to or from London Gatwick a range of rebook and refund options.

“Please log in to your booking for the latest information and options on your flights. If your flight has been cancelled, you will be able to choose an alternative flight or claim a refund.

This morning at 11.10am EasyJet said: “If your flight is cancelled we strongly advise customers not to travel to the airport and transfer their flights free of charge or take a refund by logging onto Manage Bookings on easyJet.com or our Flight Tracker.

“The unauthorised drone activity is still ongoing, and it is not clear when the runway will re-open. We are seeing high levels of disruption to our Gatwick programme, and we are continuously monitoring our flights.

“We apologise again for the disruption you may be experiencing.”

It is thought tens of thousands of passengers have been affected by the disruption which started last night (Wednesday, December 19) at 10.30pm.